Sunday, August 2, 2015

Today, the Eagles moved one of the best slot CBs in the NFL, and a guy who might have been the best cover CB on the roster... for a fourth or fifth round pick.

Yes, on a team that desperately needed to get better play from its secondary, and was ostensibly running an open competition for CB2. Coming off a year in which nearly half of the roster has a new job, with continuity being a big win in the NFL. Coming off a 2-year period where Boykin did just about everything he was asked to do, and didn't lip off when he was given no shot at CB2 in last year's turd fire secondary, the one that cost the team a playoff berth after a fast and lucky start. (Seriously, rather than give Boykin a shot at CB2, they kept single-covering guys with said failing CB2. Hard to do, really.)

Why did the deal go down? Well, Boykin isn't the right size or height for Coach / GM Chip "Nero" Kelly, the man who runs off talented players for any reason whatsoever, regardless of performance level or team need because, well, He's A Genius. Boykin at least fetched them a fifth round pick from Pittsburgh, which is a startling step forward for Nero, in that he at least got back some value at all for top-level performance, rather than the Absolutely Nothing At All that he got for DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and Evan Mathis. (Oh, and the fact that he got back less than the fourth round pick they spent on him in 2012? Also immaterial. After all, that pick was Before Nero, when nothing was ever any smart. Don't look at now-tossed GM Howie Roseman's last draft without Kelly, which was actually quite good. After all, Nero's A Genius. And the fact that Shortie Boykin was good, while Tall Dudes that Nero brought in were not? Also immaterial.)

Boykin at least has the mild excuse of having a contract come due after 2015 ends, and the team did over-farm on DBs in the draft, to the complete neglect of the aging and thin offensive line. He goes to a Steeler team who actually have made a history of managing talent to scheme, rather than insisting on thinking that good production from a smaller player is good production.

I don't doubt that Boykin will be better off for the move, and that the Steeler pick will not be very good. I also don't doubt that he'll be in the league for longer than Nero. And that this is just one more plank for the pyre that will be lit for Nero after a double-digit loss campaign, one that will hopefully flush the virus from the system.

With each succeeding Kelly whiff at GM, we get one day closer to the day when the franchise resets. Unfortunately, we also get one player further away from having enough talent to compete. Good luck in Pittsburgh, Brandon, and enjoy the Nero Alumni meeting at the Pro Bowl next year...

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